Maelstrom 23 Before the Dawn
by illmatar
Summary: Maelstrom 23! Decepticons at last..and with a vengeance. M for mature themes, language, violence, and some stuff that is just gross. Part of MASSIVE series. Read first on pain of confusion! Features: Rodimus, Elita, Magnus, Cyclonus, Galvatron, Soundwave
1. Chapter 1

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn  
Part A

Char:

Cyclonus watched the monitors in the Decepticon command center with something rare on his face - an expression. Even more rare, the expression was shock. The monitors were showing split screens from eight different news organizations from Cybertron but they might as well have all been one. Every news crew had cameras trained on the oh-so-familiar visage of Optimus Prime...announcing the discovery of inter-Transformer breeding.

All around him, another rare occurrence on Char was taking place. Silence. The entire command center watched the Autobot commander and hung on his every word. No one moved. No one spoke, although Rumble's mouth worked at though he were speaking.

Maybe, Cyclonus thought distractedly, it really is impossible to get that punk to stop working his jaw! The Decepticon second recognized that thought as the random, disorganized product of an overwhelmed mind and struggled to regain his focus. Great Cybertron! Even Galvatron is watching quietly!

Optimus went on to say that the medical staff had already had a full briefing on how an interfacing could be made to induce a new spark, and then went on to detail the changes that would be needed on Cybertron to make way for a new generation.

Cyclonus stared while Optimus called for restraint since undisciplined breeding could result in strained resources and damaged young lives. All very prudent. You could always count on Optimus to be prudent, but Cyclonus heard something else in Prime's words.

He heard the death knell of the Decepticons.

Apparently he was nearly alone in that. The unnatural calm in the Control Room started breaking down. Rumble and Frenzy had rude things to say about the parents-to-be.

"I bet Springer doesn't know how to interface and he hit on this by getting it wrong!" Rumble laughed. They went on about that, getting ever more graphic as they did.

Cyclonus tuned them out with practiced ease and struggled to concentrate on what was being said as well as the body language of those on stage. There were too many for him to analyze at once.

"Soundwave? Are you recording this?" he asked.

"Affirmative," came the immediate answer.

Good, Cyclonus thought. At least I'm not alone in seeing the significance of this. What it will mean for us will remain to be seen, but I fear this is cataclysmic.

He tried to evaluate the enemy. Optimus seemed happy but tired. Cyclonus wondered about that, but since the elder Prime was clearly following a script he gave Cyclonus little to go on. The complete lack of a facial expression on Optimus wasn't useful either, but his hand gestures seemed slow, half-hearted, and completely at odds with the triumphant tone of his powerful voice.

The discovery of the Quintisson files seemed a bit abrupt and convenient to Cyclonus, but it wasn't unheard of. He supposed it was possible.

Arcee and Springer were a study in contrasts. Arcee seemed almost serene, even when bluntly asked questions that pushed Cyclonus' standards for rude... and living with Rumble gave you some fairly corrupted standards. This was a bit at odds with Cyclonus' perception of Arcee. The femme might be a bit small, but she was a brutal opponent if you crossed her. Where was that fire now? Cyclonus wondered if her condition was having a calming effect.

If so it missed her mate entirely. Springer brindled at every turn. He sat on the edge of his seat, jumping once in a while when someone directed anything especially rude at his mate, and generally seemed ready to hurt someone.

This fit with Cyclonus' perception of Springer quite nicely.

Elita he never could get a handle on. All that serenity went straight to the pit on the battle-field and Cyclonus felt strongly that if both her calm and her viciousness were sincere then her time eluding Shockwave had split the femme's mind in two. Right now she just radiated pride and satisfaction... kind of like Ravage did went he caught something he wanted to tear apart.

Magnus looked....pleased. Cyclonus moved on. There was just something wrong about that.

Springer's right hand started twitching. Ah...his blaster would fit nicely into that hand right now. Of course with reporters asking Arcee if she had ever had other partners, and if Springer was equal to those, it was little wonder Springer wanted to start blasting.

Motormaster joined in with Rumble and Frenzy in dissecting Springer's prowess and Arcee's fidelity, even going so far as to imply the femme had come on to him during a fight. Cyclonus grimaced to himself - not at the smearing of Arcee's character, but at how gullible the cassettes were in that they hung on every word. The only thing Arcee ever came at Motormaster with was laser fire.

Right then, Rodimus moved, telling the crowd that the femme was supposed to take it easy. Cyclonus started a bit. Rodimus had been there all along, smiling almost stupidly, but Cyclonus noted that while the young Prime used Arcee as an excuse, it was Springer he pulled up, and Springer he steered off-stage, even as he grinned at the cameras.

Behind the Decepticon second, Rumble suggested that Rodimus might have "helped" Springer with Arcee from time to time... and they weren't alone. Some of the reporters actually threw that question out, although no one on stage even acknowledged them.

Cyclonus frowned.

Rumors about Arcee and Rodimus had circulated for years, but his friendship with Springer was also well documented. This didn't fit Cyclonus' evaluation of the players very well. Especially Springer. As defensive as the triple changer was acting over his mate in the face of simple, if rude questions, Cyclonus was doubtful Springer was the sort to share mates with anyone.

Rodimus himself baffled Cyclonus. The young Prime had sort of fallen out of the spot-light in recent years....or rather he had fallen out of the leadership spotlight. Rumors of his trysts and exploits reached all the way to Char, and yet there was never any video footage backing it up. Never. Rodimus didn't command much respect at home or on Char, certainly no one ever admitted to being trashed by him, while Optimus stories were almost a badge of honor. "Then there was the time Optimus almost...." Yet, it was Rodimus who had taken down Unicron. He had also killed Trypticon - single handed, right before sinking bare hands into Razorclaw's body almost to the core. Why were those stories never circulated? Where was the propaganda machine for all of that?

Cyclonus remembered scanning the news-broadcasts after Trypticon died - expecting the Autobots to bandy pictures of his corpse all over the universe. He expected a hero's welcome for Rodimus' return and decisive victory.

Nothing. Not one report ever aired. No speeches about the tide of war turning in the Autobot's favor, no celebrations for Trypticon's fall. Rodimus' return from the dead got little air time too. The whole thing smelled oddly like a cover up to Cyclonus.

Certainly, after years of unsuccessful maneuvering to get around the young Prime during his first term, Cyclonus had to respect Rodimus' intelligence if he was going to still respect his own. Rodimus had held out against them and the Quints - even before Optimus was revived.  
So why did he make such an effort to look like an idiot?

Or maybe Rodimus really was an idiot. Maybe all this speculation was due to Cyclonus' own situation. Maybe he was just used to looking for the hidden manipulation within the leadership. Cyclonus might be the power behind the throne on Char, but that didn't mean Rodimus was anything more than he seemed.

And yet...

When he came back on stage after chauffeuring Springer away, Rodimus took the grumbling and hissing of the reporters as a compliment apparently. He grinned and sat down next to Elita, leaning in as if flirting with her right behind Optimus' back. Could Rodimus really be oblivious to how that made him look? If not, what purpose could it serve the Prime to damage his own standing among those watching?

If it WASN'T a ruse, why would Optimus Prime let his partner get away with such scandalous behavior? Surely it weakened both of them to have one of the co-leaders acting a fool. It made Optimus looked incompetent for having an idiot for a partner.

The graphic questions continued, in spite of Optimus' repeated assurances that the medical details weren't being released at this time. Cyclonus marveled a bit at Optimus' restraint. They were unbelievably rude to him, given how he had made their lazy, cowardly lives possible. It made Cyclonus angry to see his honored enemy so treated, almost as if it was an insult to the Decepticon himself. A warrior of that caliber deserved more respect. At the same time Cyclonus sneered that Optimus didn't demand that respect, and that the other commanders just sat there, smiling.

Magnus' smile was looking a bit strained though. Cyclonus smirked to himself. The former City Commander might have traded his troops for politics, but he remained a soldier at heart. Perhaps Rodimus would have to escort Magnus off-stage next.

Magnus' forced smile told Cyclonus they had decided to be pleasant no matter what.

Stupid Autobots.

Some of the blatantly inappropriate questions obviously caught Optimus a bit flat-footed. He stammered a bit, clearly embarrassed.

"Gee do you think he even knows what interfacing is?" Frenzy asked his brother.

"Maybe he's so old they hadn't invented it yet!" Rumble answered. They both howled. Motormaster and most of the rest of the Decepticons howled with them.

Galvatron fired off one plasma blast into the air. (This did no damage...they had given up repairing the roof and the center of the room was open to the sky. On the few occasions they had any sort of rain on Char, they simply erected a force-field overhead.)

"Silence! Fools! I'm trying to hear!" Galvatron shrieked.

On and on the interview went, and Cyclonus noticed Optimus was answering more and more slowly. His responses became less eloquent, more rote, as time went on. Cyclonus thought he noticed a slight waver in Optimus' stance. He might have chalked it up to his imagination except that Elita's head turned immediately towards Rodimus. Rodimus. Not Ultra Magnus who was sitting to her other side and was closer to Optimus Prime. The young Prime got up and smoothly wrapped his arm around his partner, causing more cat-calls among the watching Decepticons. Rodi's suggestion of a party was well in keeping with Rodimus' reputation, but Cyclonus was already suspicious.

Was it really time to go have fun? Or was Optimus Prime no longer able to continue? Certainly the elder Prime's final (prompted?) wave looked a bit stilted, and Rodimus never let go while they were still in sight of the cameras. Then the news crews broke off into far more various shots - celebrations in the streets on Cybertron, interviews with stunned Paradronians, "expert" medical analysis, EDC's reaction as well as the "general public's" of Earth, and neighboring systems. Some of it was favorable. Some much less so. It wasn't long until protesters made their signs and took to the streets as well.

x  
x  
x

Cyclonus looked around him. The command center had filled up as news of the broadcast spread. Nearly their entire force was there...and it worried him that they all fit into this one room, large as it was. The Combaticons, Stunticons and Predicons were all scornful in their own ways. The Predicons were wondering what Autobot young tasted like. Motormaster made remarks about "finally finding out what femmes were good for." Obviously he had forgotten a not too distant battle where Elita had handed him his axle with clever use of a chain, a pillar, very good aim, and Motormaster's own momentum.

Everyone seemed to be talking. No one seemed to be thinking except for himself, Soundwave, and...Galvatron.

Did the crazed leader realize what this meant?

The Autobots would grow in numbers...and the Decepticons would continue to lose ground.

They had lost Astrotrain, all of the Constructicons, that traitor Blitzwing, and Trypticon - all since Optimus Prime's latest revival. That galled. Prime wouldn't stay dead, and now the Autobot's were free to breed at will. Not even Vector Sigma was necessary while the Decepticon had neither access to the super-computer or to the Matrix or whatever brought Prime back again and again like a bad case of Cosmic Rust.

And what had the Decepticons gained in those same years? Two femmes. Adder...and Viper. Adder was more of a liability than an asset. She still had never spoken or relaxed. Her optics followed whatever moved in her line of vision like a threatened snake regardless of whether or not it was actually a threat. Cyclonus had studied her watching one of the few small, native insects which survived Char's cataclysm. She tracked its path around the room for hours while he watched her and did his work.

He shook his head. That one would never breed willingly, and no one was going to risk being poisoned to try it any other way. Besides, from what Prime had hinted, the triggering process was mostly up to the femme. A forced interface, however unlikely on a femme of Adder's speed and temperament, would never be fertile anyway.

Viper? Viper was another story. There were possibilities there...very dangerous possibilities.

Cyclonus left the Command Center without permission or checking with his leader. Galvatron feigned not to notice.

Not much later, Arcee's kidnaping and the resulting near-riots on Cybertron reached the airwaves on Char.

x  
x  
x

Maelstrom:

"You OK Elita?" Rodimus asked, looking up with some concern.

Elita was sitting in a corner with her cobalt knees drawn up to her chest. She smiled at him. "I'm perfectly fine Rodi. Why are you bothering yourself over me?"

"Well," Rodimus said. "You look a bit uncomfortable and seeing as how I'm trying to get back on Op's good side I thought I'd make sure his mate was doing well."

Elita was snugly quartered in one of Maelstrom spacious cargo holds. The room was empty. The eleven person (including the kids) Maelstrom crew had no need for the vast majority of the space on a ship the size of a large city. Elita had plenty of room to stretch out and move around, but not quite enough head-room to stand up all the way. So she sat.

"Ah...so it's all about you then?" Elita chuckled.

"Ain't it always?" Rodi asked.

"Hmm. True. Well, since you put it that way, I have scuffs on my finish, my cables are seizing up, room service is slow and when it gets here it's cranky and rude," Elita said in her best "spoiled diplomat" voice.

"So you're fine then," Rodimus smiled.

"Did I ever tell you about the time we had a tunnel collapse on us out of the blue one day? It just fell in for no reason at all, and we of course did not have much equipment to dig with. Chromia and I were trapped in under the rubble, completely uninjured but unable to move for approximately two Earth weeks. My soldiers had to pass us energon down tubes. Chromia and I got a lot of thinking done," Elita said with a smile.

"I would have gone completely haywire," Rodimus said, a bit breathlessly.

"We got really silly. Chromia invented some 'Stuck under the Girders' songs and we sang them for the others. I'm pretty sure they dug as fast as they did to shut us up. Chromia has a nice singing voice. I have a nice shouting orders voice. I was accused of trying to shatter the girders with my vocals alone."

Rodimus snickered.

Elita looked suspiciously at him. His laugh was in no way forced but she would have expected a stronger reaction from him...and his eyes were far away. It was harder for her to read him as a human than as an Autobot, but she was getting much better at translating plastic human faces. "How's Edana?" she probed.

"She'll be fine," Rodimus said evasively.

Elita drummed her fingers on one knee and frowned at him.

"She WILL be fine...but she isn't now. You know I'll get it out of you so you might as well give," Elita pointed out.

Rodimus sighed in resignation, worry and guilt painting his features. In a way Elita was pleased. She wasn't happy about his fears for Edana, but since over-riding Vector Sigma's compulsions, his expressions were far more likely to be genuine. She doubted he even realized.

"Edana's a bit sick, Elita. She's running a small fever and she's hurting. It's recoil from her nervous system. She over-reached with her powers the other day and her nerve channels are inflamed."

Elita frowned, "How long will it last?"

Rodimus shrugged. "We don't know. I suppose it depends on how much she over-did it, but since we don't really know how much she can handle we don't know how far she stressed herself. Claudia...Claudia says she has never heard of a child who can gain directional information from their empathy so young. She says it's an ability many adult empaths can't master even with training...let alone with unsteady shields and a whole planet under stress. Claudia is furious with us, and says we are lucky Edana didn't die or go mad from over-load."

"I didn't know Claudia was capable of being furious," Elita said.

"Neither did I," Rodimus told her. "But she loves Edana and she is pretty much accusing us of abuse. The only reason she is forgiving us is that we really didn't have a way to get Edana out."

"A situation we have to rectify," Elita said simply.

"We're going to build her a smaller version of the council chamber so she has somewhere to retreat to if she needs - except with the shielding set to keep stuff out rather than in," Rodimus sulked. "We should've done it years ago."

Elita cocked her head at him, and flicked him gently with one finger. Gently was still enough to make him stagger. He glared at her. She glared in return.

Magnus (also in human form) walked in and interrupted their glaring contest.

He sighed. "What'd he do now, Elita?"

"He's at it again," Elita said. "Ah! No arguing! You and Lancer do everything you know to do for that little girl. She's never shown any sort of distress until now. Even you never imagined an event like this. Give it a rest!"

Rodimus sighed, looked unhappy, and nodded.

"It's still that hard to give yourself a break, is it?" Magnus asked, not quite joking.

"The Autobots have a lot of damaged goods on their command staff," Rodimus answered grimly.

"Which is why we are going to keep after you two until you get better," Elita smiled. "Orion is doing much better already, but it's going to be a very long road."

"Speaking of long roads," Magnus said, "We still have two days until we make it to Char. I do not understand how this ship works. Sometimes it can clear half the galaxy in an instant, but this time we have to 'travel straight' whatever that means. Why won't you let us use the jump gates?"

"Because traffic through them is monitored by the Sponsors," Rodimus said. "Really, considering we aren't gating, two days to Char is nothing. This ship is extremely fast even when it isn't folding lines."

"Rodimus...if what Vector Sigma confessed to us is true...KC may be dead in two days," Ultra Magnus said urgently.

"Magnus, if what Sigma said is true...and it was because Kain made sure it couldn't lie anymore, then KC has been dead for a week," Rodimus said grimly. "This isn't a rescue mission. It's damage control."

x  
x  
x

"Are you going to eat in the mess hall today?" Shellshock asked Spike, "Or shall I bring you lunch?"

"I'm amazed I have an appetite," Spike confessed. "Actually, I'm a bit worried I have an appetite. Can it be I'm getting used to this stuff?" He and Shellshock were working their way up the slaver food chain towards the major Sponsors, in what seemed to Spike like a never-ending river of pure, blood-soaked evil. It was the ultimate pyramid scheme in which the small-time slavers fed ever larger organizations until you got to the top tiers. Spike was amazed to find that the upper echelons of evil were in complete control of numerous planetary systems, surpassing their governments in money, power, and influence by far. Including Earth.

No wonder he had so few friends among the politically powerful.  
He grinned.  
They hadn't seen anything yet.

"You are not getting numb to it, Spike. Just your stomach is. You want to fight, and its role is to keep you alive to do it. Consider your hunger an act of defiance," Shellshock said.

Spike laughed, then sobered. "Do you think he'll be there?"

Shellshock had no gift for mincing words. "Rodimus is on board. You will run into him sooner or later unless he decides to hide from you. He is an assassin. You are not, so if you meet it will be because he wants to. Given your recent behavior towards him, I highly doubt he wants to see you. He will probably avoid you. He is holed up with Lancer caring for Edana anyway."

"Why? What's wrong with Edana?"

"Skipping breakfast with the crew cost you the news," Shellshock chided. He gave Spike an update of the events on Cybertron. Spike didn't know what had him the most shocked. The fact Transformers could breed, the fact that Arcee and SPRINGER were going to be the first, or how close they'd come to losing everything.

That the fate of it all had rested in the tiny hands of an empathic child sent Spike into yet another tail-spin.

Shellshock didn't sympathize enough to let him digest any of it.

"Claudia is furious that Edana was used like a 'common weapon' but the way I see it the child was probably the only wild card they had. Vector Sigma was very clear on our personnel, our resources, and our tactics, but no one knew what Edana could do."

"They did what they had to do," Spike said.

"Like always," Shellshock said reproachfully.

"You've gotten to be a real bastard you know that?" Spike accused.

"Yes," came the flat reply.  
x  
x  
x

"We need to go in clean, get to Viper, and get out. If Kain can wipe her memories of KC and we can get the body out, then fine, she lives. If not, Viper comes with us in as many pieces as it takes," Rodimus said emotionlessly.

"What if we get spotted?" Magnus asked.

"Same as always, we improvise," Rodimus said. "It depends on what they see. If they see us human, KC's body, or Kain, they go down. If not, we tell them we're there selling cookies."

"Ah...Girl Scout or Oreos?" Magnus asked, trying to get a smile out of Rodimus.

"Oreos obviously," Rodimus said. "Even 'Cons aren't dumb enough to buy you as a Girl Scout. You're too ugly. Maybe if you add some pig-tails."

Magnus scowled, not because he was overly insulted, but because Rodimus still wasn't smiling.

"She might still be alive," Elita said.

"Elita, you know how I like to go in not expecting anything?" Rodimus asked.

The senior femme nodded.

"I'm expecting anyway. KC's dead. That's the way it is. If she turns out to not be dead, we'll all be pleasantly surprised OK?" Rodimus said coldly.

Continued in Part B


	2. Chapter 2

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn  
Part B

Continued from Part A

Char:

Viper paced her quarters. She hadn't left them for over a week.

She was still in a vulnerable state and she knew it. Adder's pale head followed her back and forth, back and forth.

At least her fellow femme could be counted on not to talk. Viper hissed, annoyed and frightened.

As far as her fellow Decepticons knew, Viper had always been one of them and had been there for years.

As far as Viper was concerned, life began a week ago.

There had been some kind of tone...some signal meant for her audios alone, even though Soundwave surely heard it. At that moment, she knew herself for the first time, knew her name, her purpose, her powers...and that there was a filthy human riding in her chest compartment trying to regain control.

Slyly, she had complied with all the commands, fooling the human into thinking there had just been a fluke power surge. Viper waited for the human to sleep, and then released her venom into that inner chamber. The human had tried to use its metal shaping powers to save itself, but the toxins were already in its eyes and mouth. It died almost instantly.

After that decisive (pre-programmed by Vector Sigma) action, Viper was at a loss. Everything the human had done while wearing Viper's body was recorded in Viper's memory banks...but they weren't her memories... yet. She didn't know what she had been doing for the last few years. She didn't know any specifics about the people around her. What she did know was that if they caught her in a moment of weakness they would use it against her. If she faltered in her duties she would be punished. Most of all, if she was caught with a human in her chest she would be branded a traitor and killed on the spot.

Galvatron had learned his lesson with Blitzwing.

Ah...one memory integrated.

Cautious as a fer-de-lance in the brush, Viper decided to lay low until she had fully explored her own mind. She wanted as much information about her comrades and surroundings as possible. That way when she rid herself of this revolting human meat she could do it safely.

Human meat. The body would begin to leak and smell. Well...there were ways around that. See? Another useful memory.

Now, as Viper paced, she felt she had fully restored her mind, but now she needed a plan. She was still trying to work out how to get rid of the human's dried up carcass - dehydrated and mummified in her chest cavity with careful ventilation and high internal temperature.

She knew her mission. She also knew what she wanted. She was trying to find a way to make the two work together.

She was programmed to bring down the Autobots and the humans too. No problem. She hated them both - the Autobot's for using her and the humans for infesting her. From KC's memories Viper had gleaned all the information she needed to bring the Autobots to their knees. What she wanted was to do it in a way that did NOT bring the Jabez to Char and DID catapult her to the top of the Decepticon hierarchy.

Ambitious yes. Stupid, no. The Decepticons were no match for the Jabez and never would be. Let them devour the Autobots and leave the Decepticons to her.

Then Cyclonus came knocking on her door. Adder hissed and struck the door twice, leaving trails of venom trickling down.

"It is fine," Viper told her sister, never thinking it odd that Adder responded to her voice when she would listen to no one else. Soon, Adder would have company in that.

"Have you been watching Cybertron's news?" Cyclonus demanded as she let him in.

"No," she said. Her confidence was a bit shaken. Cyclonus paid attention to details. Best answer with as few words as possible.

"They have announced Transformers can breed...almost like humans do!"

"Humans! Revolting!" she said before she could stop herself.

"Have you ever heard of such a thing?" Cyclonus asked, not quite accusing her.

"No," she answered truthfully.

"Why were the Autobots so set on building females then?" Cyclonus interrogated. "You were among the first of several batches!"

Now that was a very good question...but Viper didn't know. She feigned disinterest. "Maybe the males were tired of interfacing with each other?"

"Tell me what you know!" Cyclonus insisted. Bossy. That would change...but for now...

"I know very little. It was only a few weeks after activation I realized I couldn't tolerate Autobots or organics...especially organics. You know that Cyclonus. If the Autobot leaders had any grand plans for the likes of me, they failed to share them!"

She knew, of course, that the plan had been for her to join the Decepticons all along, but she couldn't tell Cyclonus that. Besides, the Autobots might still have had plans for her estranged sisters.

"Were you given any special medical exams? Special training? Anything Viper!"

"My, my...you really are worried," Viper said, stretching languorously. "You're probably right. We are already outnumbered and without allies."

Cyclonus jumped as if stung.

Viper smiled. If she guessed correctly he was probably one of the few who actually saw what a disadvantage they were at. She smiled to herself. She was suddenly a very valuable asset indeed.

"I'm not stupid Cyclonus," she said, He looked stung again. Her tail twitched behind her and wrapped itself up his leg as if of its own accord. She paused as if in thought, working it higher. "To answer your question, no. My sisters and I were given routine exams. The only thing out of the ordinary was perhaps the attention we received from the senior staff. Rodimus in particular was very persistent about our well being."

"Rodimus Prime...?" Cyclonus mused. "I wonder what he's up to when he's not playing the fool."

Opps. Almost over-stepped there. She gave Cyclonus full marks then for intelligence. She knew Rodimus was at the heart of Cybertron's resistence to the Jabez and that he had no time whatsoever to play the fool, but most people were very easily duped by his self-started rumors. That Cyclonus was even suspicious showed him to be extremely insightful...and a powerful potential ally, or very dangerous enemy.

Maybe she could use this new breeding capacity as a bargaining chip...but she needed to side-track Cyclonus first. She was not in ideal position to reveal what she knew...not yet.

"Rodimus was probably just hoping for something to join with," Viper said. The tip of her tail slid a little higher up Cyclonus' leg, then slowly unwound itself with a whisper of contact against his sensory circuits. "He was easy enough to seduce," she added on a whim.

Cyclonus' optics widened. Gullible male. "You..and Rodimus?"

"Interfaced? Yes. A few times before I left," Viper told him, pressing her lean, supple body against his chest.

"What's that smell?" he asked, drawing back in disgust.

x  
x  
x

Maelstrom:

"Let's roll," Rodimus said inappropriately. They would be traveling by Drazi, not wheels today.

He, Magnus, and Lancer were in human form to make it easier on Pagan. Elita expressed regret she couldn't do the same.

"*TK*" Pagan responded. "So many forms must muddy your ability to think. Do not apologize for what you are. I will wait for you to contact me to send in Kain or retrieve you."

"Let's get this over with," Robert said impatiently; "This has interrupted our search for the Jabez home world."

"Teleporting now," Pagan said.

Cybertron:

Optimus watched one of his dearest friends throw things around the command center.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Jazz screamed at him. "I want to help them save her!"

The Specialist looked around for more furniture and found nothing else to throw. Perceptor was occupying the last seat and was clearly numb with shock.

"Jazz...I'm so sorry, but we don't think there's anything left to save..." Optimus said.

Char:

Finding Viper was no problem for the Maelstrom, but getting to her was another matter. The ship's scanners added the femme-con's exact location to Rodimus' already precise maps of Char, but Char was so isolated there were very few gravitational lines for Pagan to navigate. She needed enough gravitational strength between two points to connect and hold the mass she was carrying. The more mass she was moving along the lines, the heavier the objects on both ends needed to be. Since objects of adequate mass tended to be planetary bodies and these moved in relation to one another, the most stable lines tended to be the most distant from each other, coming together like tributaries to form super-massive rivers of energy, especially when quasars and galaxies were involved. These were the connections the Maelstrom used to simply pull itself from one region to another without traversing the intervening space. Some areas of the universe were so knotted with powerful lines Pagan was only limited by her personal strength, and the Maelstrom went wherever they wished.

Char was definitely NOT among those areas.

The Decepticons had chosen a planet no one else wanted. It had no sun, having been blasted away from it's host by a collision with another planetary body. The forces that wrenched it out of orbit had burned, and quaked, and tided almost everything on the surface into rubble. Now it limped weakly around another piece of debris from it's old system. Twin orphans dancing endlessly with each other in a gravitational desert of space.

Off the trade routes...but not too much. Out of the way, but not far enough to isolate the Decepticons from their victims. Certainly there were no neighbors to complain about the noise, and there was very little gravity for Pagan to use to pull herself, a woman, two large men, and one femme Transformer off Maelstrom and onto the surface. Pagan did the best she could, but had to land them about 10 miles from the Decepticon base.

The Drazi looked around scornfully at the rubble of cities and roads left-over from Char's original civilization.

"How long have these cousins of yours inhabited this world?" she asked Rodimus.

"Over an Earth decade," Rodimus told her with a smile. Her head was up, and her tail twitched erratically.

"They should have cleaned up by now," Pagan said scornfully.

"I don't think they care how it looks," Magnus said. "They probably like it this way."

"How it looks is immaterial. They have left you all the cover you need. It is careless," Pagan sneered.

"It is arrogance," Elita said. "They don't fear invasion. They think the rest of the universe is too afraid of them."

Pagan's strange barking hiss of laughter made her thoughts on that quite plain.

"We were guilty of the same thing," Rodimus admitted quietly. "See you later Pagan. We will try not to give you another Transformer to 'port back, and we'll meet you here when we're done. Thanks!"

"No thanks. Your work is for my survival too. Why do you think Kain agreed to help again? At least this time you will not have to wait for him to purify. He began when we left Cybertron and is in isolation to remain clean until he is needed." With that, the Drazi gave a short bow and disappeared.

Rodimus looked around and sighed. Then he morphed up and tried to scan for his objective. On Earth his height would have allowed him to see the base on the horizon, but Char was so small ten miles put the base past the curve of the globe.

"That's a lot of bad terrain," Magnus grumbled.

Rodimus grunted assent.

"Having only one exit is going to be a big liability too," Magnus noted.

"Yup. Let's get this over with," Rodimus said.  
x  
x  
x

Cybertron:

Optimus' day was NOT improving. He didn't envy Rodimus' grim task of finding out what happened to KC and hopefully containing Viper, but he almost wished he could have gone along. There was a certain simplicity in fighting Decepticons Optimus was almost nostalgic for.

Dealing with frantic Paradronians, Earth's embassy and leaders, and greedy alien trading partners was all in a day's work for Optimus Prime...but not usually all at once.

Earth wanted to know where the hell Spike had gotten to.

Optimus was stalling until he could think of a good one to mollify them. Paradronian Autobots from all walks of life were filling the halls of Central. Most of them were here to help, and he was grateful...really he was, but they all thought their idea, their skill, their suggestions and input were simply the most important thing he would ever have to think about and they were getting out of hand.

He gave Outback the job of policing them. Unfair, he knew, but Jazz was in no state to help anyone right now.

Perceptor was no better really, although he was grieving quietly already, unlike Jazz's furious denial. The scientist had simply retreated to his lab and gone back to work. Somehow Optimus sensed he would have to keep an eye on Perceptor, and that the loss of young KC would be harder in the long run on the scientist than it would on Jazz.

Jazz had loved KC's company, and Optimus suspected the Specialist had even entertained notions of being in love with KC...but Optimus wasn't sure about that. He felt Jazz was pursuing aspects of human culture, trying to immerse himself in the intrigue of human life. Love was part of that and KC was a convenient choice. Not that Optimus felt Jazz would ever deliberately use or deceive KC, but...he courted her with an equal level of enthusiasm as learning to swim, trying new foods, dancing at every kind of club there was, etc. etc. etc.

Optimus thought Jazz was in love with the idea of being in love. He would fall in love again with something else soon. He would honestly grieve for his friend...but she was really just a friend. KC had been insightful enough to resist his advances because she knew him too well.

Perceptor, on the other hand, had lost a true kindred spirit, and it was unlikely he would find anyone to replace that part of his life. Ever.

Arcee and Springer were back on Earth. First Aid had gone with them to monitor their new spark. Optimus was almost glad they were gone since it reduced the frenzy on Cybertron by a slight degree. He wasn't worried about them...or rather he was as un-worried as he could ever get about anyone. The Autobots on Earth had taken news of Arcee's kidnaping VERY personally. Arcee's body-guard had increased from one to three, but the real changes were in and around Metroplex.

The City-Bot had widened the trenches that limited access to the area with his own hands. Camera surveillance had tripled... and even the Dinobots were on patrol. Optimus laughed to himself over that one. Grimlock had been so angry and defiant when he was activated...now he was following Arcee around like a Labrador, insisting that he could smell the new spark.

Optimus frowned to himself. Every time he noticed a change in personality in one of his troops, he wondered. Had Grimlock really mellowed? Or had Vector Sigma put the clamps on the Dinobot too? In any case, reporters trying to sneak into Metroplex were running into trouble left and right. Swoop was on patrol and was picking up humans and depositing them outside the city walls. Sometimes he even picked up people who worked there. Scamper was running shuttle service almost full time just to return misplaced EDC personnel.

After the Eclipse incident, they were being remarkably patient about it. The one reporter who did manage to get into Metroplex's outer courtyard (by means of a catapult of all things) found himself confronted by the city's omnipresent personality... and rather booming voice. Metroplex spoke so rarely some people forgot he was an Autobot. When he did speak it was usually with exaggerated care. Not this time. Even if the man hadn't been nearly ready to wet himself after Metroplex YELLED at him, so many angry Autobots converged on the scene he had broken down into tears. Silverbolt had allowed (or was that encouraged?) Grimlock to pick up the sad sack of bones by the collar with those horrendous teeth to be dumped unceremoniously in a mud puddle in front of the live camera crews milling just outside the city gates. The man's name and face were broadcast all over the world as he sat in the mud and cried.

Optimus had received an angry e-mail from the man's paper about therapy bills. Optimus politely sent back they were lucky the trespassing idiot hadn't been vaporized and informed them point blank the next idiot they sent would be. He also politely told them their central offices would likely be vaporized too. He didn't think word of that little exchange took too long to get out.

The Autobots left the catapult where it was. Go ahead. Use it. We dare you.

No. Optimus wasn't worried about Arcee and Springer.

These slagging so-called diplomats might be another story though. Maybe he should have left the compulsion to never kill anyone in place.  
x  
x  
x  
Earth:

"Too bad all the security is geared towards keeping civilians out," First Aid thought to himself with resignation. The medic felt the un-welcomed guest long before he arrived in Metroplex's med-lab.

First Aid put his palms flat on one of the exam tables and his back to the door. Anything for some support and a few more micro-seconds of delay in the coming confrontation.

He heard the familiar, long-missed, dreaded footsteps behind him, and was a bit surprised at their lack of energy.

"Hello First Aid."

"Hello Hotspot."  
x  
x  
x  
Char:

"Watch your step Magnus!" Elita whispered. She grabbed him by the shoulder strut and pulled him back until his balance stabilized.

The three Autobots looked down, down into the pit that just opened up in front of them. The falling debris made Rodimus wince every time the noise got loud.

"That wasn't there a second ago!" Magnus defended himself.

"True. It was your big feet that collapsed it," Rodimus said. "Walk lightly."

"I haven't finished that training yet," Magnus complained.

"You quit," Rodimus reminded him

"I quit because you and Optimus couldn't get anything done in the same room together so I had to take up the slack!" Magnus snapped.

All true but Rodimus didn't look terribly sympathetic. "You learned enough to do better than this."

"Now you listen you..."

"Fight about it later!" Elita snapped. "You make more noise than the building going down!"

"There's only so much mass this stuff is going to take!" Magnus pointed out logically. "Why don't I just morph down and lighten the load?"

"Because I'd rather get spotted as Autobots and have a fight than get spotted as humans and have to kill anyone who sees us." Rodimus said.

"How positively Paradronian of you," Magnus growled.

"Give it a rest Major General. I'm not being merciful. If the Cons get too weak people will start to wonder why we don't just drop them all...and may get ideas to do the job themselves. They'd probably win too and then where would all of our cover go? They live. You work on it. Lancer's disappointed with you by the way, but she's scouting for a better route for you."  
x  
x  
x  
About a mile off, Soundwave looked up. The sound of collapsing structures was only too common on Char - an annoying noise he endured like he endured so many indignities. He almost ignored it...but...was that voices?

Surely not. He knew the location of every Decepticon and none were in that area. .... He paused, listening again. Nothing. Trying to focus back on all the broadcasts he was trying to sift through was impossible however. He contacted Cyclonus for permission to dispatch Ravage and Laser Beak. He received it, but not with the immediacy he expected.

Cyclonus sounded...flustered.  
x  
x  
x

"By Vector Sigma," Viper breathed. "I must get rid of this parasite! It nearly cost me everything, Sister."

Adder said nothing, merely watched her in snake form and crunched up her dead vermin. Char had two remaining native species - a small, noxious flying insect Adder liked to watch, and a larger twenty legged bug with a tough carapace and a six part, venomous mouthpiece. These Adder liked to crunch. She couldn't eat them really - they weren't energon, but she seemed to get something out of chewing their shells until the inner juices gushed out and down her face. She was not particular about what form she chose to do that in. Nor was she too good at cleaning up the remains she spat out when she was done.

Fortunately for Viper, one such semi-decomposed shell was under their recharge unit. It made for a handy excuse for the odor of decay in the room.  
Viper had made a big show of scolding Adder for her habits. Adder had of course stared without comment. Cyclonus had used this as an avenue for escape, but at least he hadn't discovered Viper's unpleasant secret. Yet.  
x  
x  
x

Cybertron:

"Unrestricted breeding by Cybertronians is a danger! You must put restrictions on your populace Optimus Prime! Your kind cause damage just walking down our streets and that's with fully adult minds in control! Who knows what immature Autobots will do? We must set limits on how many young there can be at once! You must come to Earth so the UN can draw up the terms!"

The Ambassador to the European Union had a shrill and slightly hysterical tone to his voice. Optimus sighed, knowing full-well much of his indignation stemmed from the time Blurr had skidded accidentally into the Eiffel Tower - causing a dent. Just a dent. The metal in question was swiftly replaced, but this led to MORE controversy in that they had "defaced a historical treasure" by replacing the piece.

That the ambassador was from Paris probably didn't make him more reasonable.

Op's usually orderly conference hall was packed and restless. Earth's major leaders had come demanding assurances that they weren't about to be overrun with a swarm of rampaging baby Transformers. Neighboring trade partners were there to pawn items of dubious worth to the whole breeding endeavor and were obviously under the impression he was desperate enough to pay any price for it all and thank them for it.

Who the hell did they think he was anyway?  
Oh yeah.  
They thought he was the polite Prime.

Really, he thought, it would have been fun to see Rodimus handle this group, if I could get him to really go off on them that is. Let them deal with the assassin-green optics and the way they look through your insides to find the best target. These parasites deserve it. Oh well. I'll just have to do my best.

The entire room was shouting at him at once.

He stood.  
He glared.

He raised one gigantic fist and slammed it down on the table.

And suddenly it was nice and quiet.

"Now you all listen to me because I'm only going to say this once," Optimus Prime intoned. He deep voice was deceptively quiet but somehow the humans felt the vibration as if standing in front of bass speakers. "Do I ask you to come to me for permission to breed on Cybertron Ambassador? Maybe I should! Your flighty teens and drugged-up hookers come to OUR planet and drop unwanted babies in our laps! You let us find homes and care-givers for them! Who are you to give us permission for anything? The UN can set all the terms it wants for our activities on Earth but no one has the right to dictate what Cybertron's citizens do in their personal lives on Cybertron. NOT EVEN ME! Certainly not any of you! We are our own race! Not your big dumb guard dogs! We are not subservient to you or anyone! The ONLY reason we haven't been doing this on our own from the start is because the Quintissons deceived us! Deal with it!"

The stunned silence continued so he went on, speaking to Earth's contingents. "Who are you to come here and accuse US of being irresponsible? We don't even have our First yet! You with your world full of suffering young! Your third world countries of starving babies while a short distance away you argue too many are too bloated to exercise! They suffer from diseases you can cure and abuse you can stop! They are bought and sold as slaves on the streets of LA and New Delhi but you turn your backs! Oh we will turn to Earth, sure enough! We will look to you for what NOT to do!"

Then he turned on his trade partners. "You will not bleed us dry this time. Either you trade with us fairly or go home. I am done playing games. Most of what you offer today is just insulting my intelligence! All of you get out of my sight until you have something worth my time! GO!"

He watched them scatter and smiled to himself.

That felt pretty good.

Rodimus would be proud of him...for about as long as it took to sum up the mess Optimus had just made for them both.

He didn't care.

Kup, Chromia, and Blitzwing who were, as always, the official trainers of the next generation, and therefore his aides during this fiasco seemed less pleased. Stunned described them better. Then, nervously at first, Kup started to smile.

Continued in Part C


	3. Chapter 3

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn  
Part C

Continued from Part B

Char:

Ravage looked around. The cassette cat saw nothing....heard nothing. Something wasn't right though. He saw a swirl of dust settling to the left of him among the debris and shattered buildings. Nothing else.

He tilted his head and listened again.

There was no wind to make the dust swirl.

Growling to himself the cat raised his muzzle to sniff and caught, faintly, the scent of energon, and another scent he hadn't detected in years.

Human.

Optics surging in rage he opened a channel to Soundwave and... dropped like a stone.  
x  
x  
x

"Lancer just zapped Ravage," Rodimus told his companions. "He was out snooping around so we should watch out for the others."

"You mean like that one?" Elita said, pointing. Laser Beak was circling an area off to their west. From his slowly drifting loops they could tell he hadn't spotted them yet, but was heading their way. Rodimus was cloaked, but Elita and Magnus had not yet had time for the three day process of outfitting them. The devices were simple enough to install, but the actual cloak had to be fitted to the exact dimensions and motion ratio of the person wearing it.

"Just hold tight you two," Rodimus' voice told them. They froze in place as only a Transformer could, and waited. Laser Beak circled nearer and nearer, but neither could tell what, if anything, Rodimus was up to. So they waited. As the cassette vulture came closer he dipped lower than some of the building walls to scan the rubble in the streets. Suddenly there was a groan of shifting metal as one of the buildings toppled.

Laser Beak never even saw it coming.

Magnus grinned. "I never liked that nasty little spy."

"So who did?" Elita asked. They carefully picked their way over to where they assumed Rodimus was waiting. Elita questioned the empty air, knowing she had too much dirt on Magnus for him to tease her if she was talking to herself. "Is he dead?"

"No. Just out. Lancer is rigging Ravage up to look like he got struck by heat lighting, but that's two cassettes down and you know Soundwave is gonna be suspicious. We need to get moving," Rodimus said with a sigh.  
x  
x  
x

Earth:

"Why are you here Hotspot?" First Aid asked. He already knew the answer of course. He really must control the quaver in his voice. His heart was breaking and his acting skills were not keeping up.

"I could ask the same of you," Hotspot answered. First Aid finally turned around to look at his brother, concerned on a new level, a medical level. Hotspot was famous for being hard to keep up with. Listlessness was not his style.

"Are you injured? Is something wrong?" First Aid asked. The medic in him was worried.

"You know exactly what's wrong!" Hotspot accused. "You land on Earth and all of us can feel you! Groove won't come out of his quarters! Blades took off the minute you landed and won't answer his com! Streetwise is going about his duties like nothing is different but just try to get him to speak your name! You've torn the Protectobots apart!"

"I'm sorry," First Aid whispered.

"I've heard that before," Hotspot said coldly.

First Aid hung his head.  
x  
x  
x  
Cybertron:

"The furor over Optimus Prime's controversial commentary on human society has caused some major donations in goods and services for the next generation of Transformers to be withdrawn. However it has inspired even more to be donated from other sources, while the debate over the issues he touched on is flaring up world-wide..."

Optimus Prime and Kup stood watching news broadcasts from Earth react to the fallout of his now-famous rant.

"You sure know how to stir up trouble," Kup gloated.

"Should have done it years ago," Optimus said with satisfaction. He made careful note of those companies which were insulted by his honesty. All of their contracts with the Autobots would be cancelled by nightfall but he knew, in the long run, they would suffer more than Cybertron would. His only regret was to those workers who would lose their jobs over this. He expressed that regret to Kup.

"Nah, don't worry about it Optimus. There are three more companies standing in line to replace every one of these we let go. They'll need extra workers to keep up, especially as busy as we're gonna keep 'em," Kup said.

"You know something Kup?" Optimus asked.

"What?"

"It's good to have you back on the team."  
x  
x  
x

Char:

Soundwave's coming. Alone, Lancer sent. She was cloaked and frozen in place on a ledge within sight of the main entrance to the Decepticon stronghold. She was invisible and absolutely still...but...

Soundwave paused suddenly, as if listening.

Oh shit.... Lancer thought, My heartbeat!

Soundwave's head oriented on her as if she were lit with neon signs. She frantically debated staying still or moving when he turned the full power of his speakers her direction. It blew Lancer's ultra-light exo-suit right off the ground and slammed her into the debris behind her. The noise and the impact were more than enough to knock her senseless. Her last, dazed image as she passed out was of Soundwave's feet coming towards her.  
x  
x  
x

Earth:

"Wow," Springer said. "Looky there Arcee. Optimus has found a way to get us off the front-page already!"

"He's always looking out for us," Arcee smiled.

Across Metroplex First Aid was wishing he was anywhere but where he was. Char would have be fine. Lovely this time of year surely.

Hotspot's pain was almost more than he could bear....but he had to hold on. He couldn't tell Hotspot why he left, but at least he could answer one thing he felt burning off his leader-brother's soul.

"It's not you're fault I left Hotspot. There's nothing you or the others did or didn't do that would have mattered. I can't tell you why...it's not that I don't want to! I can't! I have to do this."

"What can be so important that you would put your team through this? That you would put Defensor through this? It's so hard for him to think!" They always spoke of Defensor that way...as if he were yet another brother, another part of their team rather than merely a combination of it. He had his own personality and way of thinking, and lately he had felt...wounded. Or maybe brain-damaged.

"I know its hard for him," First Aid said. "You think I can't feel it when you merge? You think it doesn't destroy my spark not to be there?"

"You are hurting!" Hotspot said suddenly, as if just realizing. "This hurts you as much as us! MORE than us!"

"Hotspot...I..."

"I can feel it! Most of the pain is from you! You are lonely! You MISS us!"

First Aid shuddered, "Of course I miss you. I miss all of you. Some days it's all I can do to get my work done."

"What work is that? Why are you doing this to us First Aid?" Hotspot demanded.  
x  
x  
x  
Char:

Soundwave knelt, and felt around the impact crater he could see. Under his rough, probing hands he felt a slim robotic body. It puzzled him in that it felt armorless and...decidedly feminine. The faint sound of a human heart-beat confused him as well. Running his hands along the invisible form he found no weapons and no answers, just a covered face, and limbs that tapered down to nearly nothing. It stirred under his touch and he grabbed the arms and pinned them to the body. The growl surprised him...and masked another sound, almost.

He turned in surprise at the faint noise and saw a steel beam heading for his face.

"Keep your hands off my mate," Rodimus snarled at the unconscious Decepticon.

"Lancer?" Elita cried. "Are you alright?"

"I need an aspirin," Lancer said a bit weakly. There was a long pause. "And a shower."

Magnus smirked a little bit. "What'll we do with Soundwave?" he asked.

Rodimus growled. His already bad mood had just gotten a hundred times worse.

When the Decepticons finally found Soundwave it was two days after everything else was over, and only because Ravage finally came to on his own and was able to use his link with Soundwave to bring him help. (None of the other Cons were looking for Ravage or Laser-beak, since they assumed they were both with Soundwave.)

The communications specialist was wrapped in cables from head to toe (especially around the chest plate), with all transmission circuits disabled, and was suspended head down in one of Char many sink-holes.  
x  
x  
x  
Cybertron:

Optimus Prime issued a few new rules out of pure irritation. The few remaining Paradronians not dissuaded by Eclipse's final rant could protest all they wanted...OUTSIDE of Central. This resulted in three new signs labeling him a dictator again.

He went down and personally explained to those involved that if they insisted on making idiots of themselves he didn't mind, but they were going to do it out of the way of Autobots with work to do....lest they get run over.

Inter-galactic press commentary for his new regulations on breeding started with draconian and went downhill from there.  
x  
x  
x

Jazz sat on the floor of his quarters. It was smooth, black, and reflective. Rodimus had dubbed these room the "Museum of Human Kitsch" shortly after Jazz had moved back to Cybertron and set them up. The items Jazz displayed in his rooms were all rare or valuable in some way, if only to him, and the upmost care had been taken to both protect them and show them off to their best advantage. Everything from the protective glass to the multi-colored accent lighting truly made these rooms look like a museum.

Not anymore.

The framed album covers were strewn about, broken glass littered the room like fallen leaves. His prized vintage juke-box wasn't in mint condition anymore - not since being thrown into the grill of his suspended '57 Chevy.

Jazz sat among the ruin of his life, knowing, in time, he would be cursing himself for causing all of this destruction. Soon he knew, he would begin a futile quest to replace each and every item he'd destroyed.

He didn't care.

Perceptor sat too, in his brand new lab reading a page of text on his screen that he had read twice already. KC wanted this new lab as much as he did. He told himself he was working but with all the disarray he couldn't focus.

The high and mighty command staff had functioned as common movers to get Perceptor's ultra-secret work out of his now useless storm-cellar. In Perceptor's opinion, common movers would probably have done a better job. The Primes and Magnus might know their way around a battle-field but they didn't know up from down when it came to sensitive scientific equipment. They had indeed managed to put a few things up-side down.

Elita had tried to help him get organized but she just didn't understand why some things naturally needed to in close proximity and others must be well separated. She needed so much direction that he finally decided it would just be easier to do it all himself.

KC had understood. She understood organizing the lab better than he had really. She didn't ask, she just moved things around, and each time she did his crushing work load got just a tiny bit lighter.

When she got back she would....

When she got back...

But she wasn't coming back.

Don't jump to conclusions, Perceptor told himself. You don't have all the facts yet.

He read the page again. It didn't sink in.

Good scientists always wait until they have all the information.

And yet...

Rodimus Prime knew full well Jazz's love of playing hero, especially where KC was concerned.

Rodimus had left Jazz behind.

The evidence is inconclusive, Perceptor told himself firmly.

It was pretty compelling though.

He re-read his screen once more. It didn't even look familiar.  
x  
x  
x

Char:

Viper prepared to leave the base. She was only worried about two things. She didn't know where Soundwave was, which always made anyone with a secret nervous, and she didn't know how she was going to ditch Adder. Everyone else was busy enjoying the chaos on Cybertron over the airwaves. She was sure Cyclonus had been thinking of attacking during the riots, but those were over too quickly. Even Galvatron was quiet - almost introspective. No doubt the potential to start trouble was apparent even to his malfunctioning brain and he had entered one of those rare calm spells where you could almost see a real strategist there.

With luck, one of them would find a way to turn the amusing pockets of unrest back into full-fledged riots.

In the mean time, she had to get rid of her odor-causing dilemma. Viper knew KC's body couldn't just get dumped among Char's rubble, although it was a tempting notion. Sooner or later it would be found. She needed to get well away from base so she could vaporize it completely and find a way to remove the capsule in her own chest that encased it. Hopefully soon, before any of the corruption leaked into her circuits and made her ill. She didn't know how she was going to remove the capsule though. It was worked into her circuitry and essentially she'd have to do surgery on herself. The capsule didn't serve any function for her, she wouldn't die if it was removed, but the notion of pain... Well, better that then get injured someday and have someone discover she was built to carry a vile human during repairs.

Adder's narrow optics followed her - back and forth, as always.

"Adder...you have to stay here!" Viper said, attempting to leave.

Adder's white and grey snake form slid off the re-charger, obviously to follow her.

"No! Sister! You must stay! Do you understand?" Viper insisted.

Adder's optics never wavered.

Salvation came unexpectedly in the form of a swarm of the tiny flying insects. Viper's hand shot out with all the speed and accuracy of a mamba. One minuscule insect was plucked from the swarm undamaged. Viper showed her hand to her sister who stared at it intently. Viper opened her hand and the bug flew free. Adder's head followed it, and Viper slipped away.  
x  
x  
x

"Which way do you want to go in?" Lancer asked her mate ruefully.

"I dunno. They left us so many choices," Rodimus answered in the same tone of voice. He hadn't been to Char since becoming an assassin... and he sure did remember it differently. He remembered being impressed.

The Decepticon stronghold was exactly that. Strong. Big, imposing doors, heavy, heavy armor. Weapons arrays everywhere. If Rodimus was attacking with heavy artillery and standard Autobot tactics he knew they wouldn't get very far at all...but...

For an assassin, especially a human sized assassin, the fortress might as well have all the doors open. There was a four-foot gap around every turret that obviously couldn't be closed. One of the main doors was even damaged at the corner. Obviously someone had hit it against something they were bringing in, or maybe even themselves. If one of the bigger Cons had hit that at high speed... It was a small gap by Transformer standards. Even Rumble couldn't have squeezed through, but a human wouldn't have any trouble.

Elita was another story.

"Viper's quarters are near the outer wall. New chick doesn't warrant much protection I guess," Rodimus mused. "I'll go in right here and open the doors for you Elita. Mags, you and Lancer go in over by those gun batteries and meet us in the hall. I wouldn't want all of us there, but where Viper is, Adder is and I want them both contained quietly."

"Don't we own their security?" Magnus asked. "Why don't we just use the codes?"

"We don't know if Viper changed them yet. She knows we watch everything they do."

"Sorry Rodimus," Elita said. "Maybe I should learn to morph too."

"Forget it Elita. There's too much of that already," Rodimus said. "Let's go."

He morphed human, which made him visible again. Lancer and Magnus did the same.

Magnus looked at the mutant in surprise. "You're a mess. Are you up to this?"

Lancer had two black eyes and looked like someone had used her face for target practice with a sledge-hammer.

"Soundwave's sonic boom threw me all over the place," Lancer explained. "I got shaken and stirred, but the bruises aren't deep, they're just everywhere."

"She's OK," Rodimus said.

They all headed for their respective entrances.

Rodimus had to lay down and squirm to get through the chipped door. He paused, listening again for Decepticon footsteps. Hearing none, he morphed back to Autobot form and opened the door for Elita, nicely negating the need to by-pass the alarms in the process. The base was very dimly lit, as the residents had little energy to spare on lighting.

Elita made the most of her training and the shadows, while Rodimus engaged his cloak. They met Magnus standing nervously in the hallway, apparently by himself.

"Lancer's gone on ahead again," he whispered to Elita. She nodded at him and they headed down the first hall to the right for Viper's quarters.

They didn't get far.

The Decepticon femme was obligingly stepping out into the hall for them.

Magnus and Elita couldn't see anything, but from the way the snake-lady's head jerked back and her optics widened, they gathered Lancer had just grabbed the Con from behind.

That was when the footsteps started heading their way from further in the base.  
x  
x  
x

Earth:  
"I CAN'T tell you anything!" First Aid cried. His voice rose in desperation. Hotspot had him backed up against a wall - literally and emotionally. Was it about to come to blows between them? If so First Aid refused to defend himself. Even if he hadn't been a pacifist, he could never hit his brother. Well...except during the hate plague. He shook with emotion - pain, guilt, loneliness, home-sickness...not to mention all the stress that had been building and building with everything from Rodi's torture, to the Converts, to Vector Sigma, and even Arcee's pregnancy. There was too much on his mind...too much on his hands, especially isolated from the team that made him feel strong.

Hotspot didn't know the reasons for any of this, but he was the Protectobot leader, the core of the gestalt. His link to each member of his team was stronger than their link to each other. He also simply knew First Aid very, very well having studied his team as carefully as if he had never joined minds with them. He felt the anxiety and guilt coming from First Aid, he felt the pain, the fear, and most of all, the resolve not to crack. Whatever else First Aid might be feeling, the medic firmly believed he was where he needed to be.

He hadn't left them on a whim, or a tantrum.  
Whatever his motive was...it wasn't selfish.  
That was a profound paradigm shift.

All the Protectobots were hurt and angered by First Aid just taking off without explanation. They thought he was pouting, or angry, or simply moving on without them. Blades was AWOL more than he was home - just looking for trouble. By contrast Groove had given up his meanderings completely. He stayed in his quarters except when on missions. Streetwise? Streetwise ignored all of it and acted like everything was completely normal... but he refused to say First Aid's name.

What Hotspot didn't understand was why the commanders hadn't done anything to patch the team up. Usually both Primes were known for being attentive to morale in their own ways, and Magnus was all over anything that lowered efficiency.

Where were they? What could he, as a leader do without help from his superiors? He remembered his own words to First Aid the last time the medic had quit the team, thinking his pacifism a liability.

"We have plenty of warriors, but we only have one First Aid!"

Only one.

Suddenly Hotspot felt stupid.

First Aid hadn't left...he had been summoned by Optimus Prime, right before...right before Rodimus came home.

First Aid was the only medic left among the enlisted Autobots with any advanced skill. Oh sure Pipes could pound dents with the best of them, but really, until Opal and Obsidian finished their training, First Aid was it. The Only one. He wasn't gone because he wanted to be - he was gone because he was NEEDED.

"Something happened. Something major happened that you are mixed up in! Is that why you can't come home? Because if you're with us we'll be mixed up in it too!? First Aid...are you protecting us?"

"Hotspot, stop! Please! I CAN'T talk to you about this!"

The waves of fear were like a physical blow.

"First Aid! I'm sorry!" Hotspot cried.

The medic collapsed into a ball on the floor.  
x  
x  
x  
Char:

Cyclonus stormed through the dim halls of the Decepticon base for Viper's quarters. He was furious and getting more furious by the second. He had taken a while to collect himself after his encounter with Viper (that SMELL!) and decided he couldn't let things stand that way. She had been trying to seduce him! More to the point, she had been trying to influence him. Cyclonus was not about to let her think she could get away with that! He gave her full marks for intelligence and acknowledged her ambition, but if she wanted to sway his opinion she would have to earn his trust and respect. So far, the only robot ever to do that was Galvatron. Well...at least he respected Galvatron.

Angry, he barged into Viper's quarters without knocking first.

And drew back in terror barely in time.

Years of serving with a trigger happy, plasma wielding commander had its advantages. Cyclonus could never say what made him draw back other than finely honed instincts tuned to working with Galvatron. Certainly he never saw the hits coming.

In his anger and haste he had forgotten Adder and it nearly cost him his life.

She struck twice at his torso, missing only by millimeters, and close enough that a small drip of her acidic venom actually landed on his chest.

It hissed slightly as it ate into the metal of his armor.

Cyclonus heard a noise down the hallway, like metal scraping on metal, but he didn't dare turn his head to look.

They both waited, the snake and the Second, frozen, staring at each other.

Down the hallway, a cloaked Autobot Commander turned and smiled wickedly to himself.

If Cyclonus had been less focused on Viper's door he might have seen her feet instead, suspended in mid-air and disappearing around the corner.

Rodimus knew full well what Cyclonus was facing and supposed a merciful Bot would go to lend a hand, but...this femme stank. Rodimus knew the scent of dead human far too well. Slavers were lazy about cleaning up their over-crowded, killer cargo holds, and Rodimus was completely familiar with the reek of decay.

Rodimus just wasn't feeling terribly merciful as they hauled the enraged, putrid Decepticon femme out into Char's eternal night.

Continued in Part D


	4. Chapter 4

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn  
Part D

Continued from Part C

Cybertron:

"Yes I'm absolutely serious!" Optimus Prime stated firmly to a restless and ugly crowd. "There will be no accidental Sparks among the Autobots. There CAN'T be. It requires the willing participation of both parents. Therefore, if you go to the trouble of beginning a new life you will be responsible for it whether you end up raising it or not! We will have means to care for any orphans of course, but this is not a fad! It is not something you get to try on a whim and then wash your hands of when it proves too difficult! It isn't easy! Ask your human neighbors if it's easy! They will laugh at you!  
I'm sure there will be problems. I'm sure there will be people who start off with the best of intentions and find themselves simply unsuited for the task. However, if you chose to bring a new life into this world then you will cover the costs of their education and upkeep until they are independent - regardless of who raises them! Anyone attempting to side-step their responsibility will find their wages garnished. Anyone trying to dodge that will find themselves in detention. Their assets will be seized and sold to off-set the costs of raising their young!"

The crowd continued to mutter, but to Prime's audios it sounded more like mixed reviews among the civilian Autobots but among the human reporters he heard something else. Respect.  
x  
x  
x

Perceptor sat in his lab, typing rapidly at his workstation. His fingers flew and any passers-by would have assumed he was extremely busy. He wrote, "Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive. Evidence inconclusive...."  
x  
x  
x

Kup headed for Jazz's quarters and rang. There was no answer, but Kup was pretty sure Jazz was home anyway, mostly because there weren't reports of his whereabouts coming in.

Kup could count on one hand the number of times he'd seen Jazz lose his cool, in spite of millions of years serving together. Those few times were always memorable...and obvious. Ringing the door-beep again got no answer, but he noticed the door was dented - from the inside.

Concern trumped manners in Kup's book and he opened the door. It wasn't locked but it only slid back a few inches. He could hear a strange crunching sound from the other side and sighed.

Forcing his fingers into the small crack, Kup braced one leg up on the side of the doorway and pulled with all his strength. He needn't have tried quite so hard because after a brief resistence it gave suddenly and he tumbled to the floor. This sprawled him at eye-level with a small avalanche of Jazz's things, which spilled into the hallway in a shattered heap.

The Specialist sat with his back to the door. He didn't turn around.

"Go away," he said.

Kup sighed again and took a moment scraping the small hill of debris blocking the door back inside so it would close. Privacy, always privacy these days. Jazz would never be able to mourn KC's murder publicly for what it was. Her heroism, going to Char to see that their enemies didn't become pawns for the Jabez, could never be acknowledged. Such courage deserved a public memorial, a plaque, a statue...some statement of gratitude and respect, but it would never be.

Kup wondered if the command staff he was just now truly becoming a part of knew fact from fiction in their own lives.

"Jazz, Prime sent me down to check on you," Kup said compassionately.  
"Oh yeah? Which Prime was that? The one that ditched me or the one that lied to me about it until they were long gone?" Jazz snapped.

"Rodimus isn't back yet. Optimus wanted to know how you're doing, but he's..." Kup started to explain.

"He's obviously REALLY concerned if he sent a messenger boy down to ask!" Jazz ranted, throwing something at Kup.

The veteran noted the metallic finish on the object and ducked out of the way. However, when it hit the wall behind him it made a plastic-sounding whack rather than the metallic thunk he was expecting. Ah. It was a plastic bowling trophy. A bowling trophy?

"He's up to his optics in news conferences. You know that," Kup said gently. "He's worried you might be taking this too hard...."

"Figured that out all by himself did he?" Jazz sneered. "Really? What else has he noticed? That things fall down? That water is wet? Or how's about that little human girls do not belong on CHAR?"

"She knew the risks Jazz," Kup reasoned. "Don't discredit her involvement in that choice. She was the best operative we had and she wanted that mission."

Jazz only turned his back on Kup.

"Jazz...you know they did..."

Earth:

"...what they had to do. They did what they had to do. They did..." First Aid muttered to himself over and over.

Hotspot was starting to get really scared now. First Aid didn't even seem fully aware of him. He stood up, unable to rouse his brother, and put his hands on his hips. Debating his options, he considered getting help, but who would he call if this break-down was due to classified issues? Should he just spirit First Aid out of Metroplex? Maybe time with the Protectobots would help him.

As he stood there, Arcee and Springer strolled in.

The laughing new parents-to-be took in the scene before them. First Aid curled up and muttering to himself in the corner. A scowling Hotspot loomed over him. The Protectobot commander saw the smiling couple transform into grim warriors before his optics.

Springer drew his weapon and aimed it at Hotspot's face.  
x  
x  
x

Char:

Cyclonus stared at Adder.  
Adder stared back.  
Neither moved.

Cyclonus was painfully aware of his predicament. He couldn't believe his stupidity. He had heard Adder strike the door when he knocked on his last visit. He had seen the traces of venom on the back of the door where it had eaten its way down in thin trickles from numerous strikes. If she kept that up the door would eventually crumble. The floor at the threshold was pock-marked where the poison had eventually found its way down.

What made small dents on the heavy, heavy metal of a Transformer's floor would work a bit faster if it got pumped into his fuel system to be spread around his circuits in seconds.

He made note of the two-meter long fangs folded in Adder's mouth. They dripped a combination of venom and green ichor from one of her masticated vermin. The drip of liquid from her mouth and the dry rasp of her diamond-shaped white scales were driving him to surges, but she hadn't wavered in the slightest and he didn't dare move.

Where was Viper? She was the only one who could control this menace!

The acid drop on his torso finally chewed through to his inner circuitry and he winced slightly at the sudden up-surge in pain.

Adder's optics brightened and her gaping mouth closed for a moment, but she didn't strike.

Then Cyclonus heard another faint noise from elsewhere in the base and had a moment of panic.

What if someone walked past the room? He'd be dead!  
Desperate now, he drew his right foot back half an inch.  
Adder hissed very lightly.  
He slid his left foot back another half-inch.  
This is going to take while, he thought grimly.  
x  
x  
x  
"Quit wiggling bitch and you might live to see tomorrow," Rodimus said to the writhing female under him. "If not, don't think I'm gonna cry over your loss."

Viper was more than gagged - she had on a full sized muzzle and mask combination that prevented her from even opening her mouth. She could glare though, and if she could have shot her venom through her optics Rodimus' face would be a smoking ruin.

Rodimus lowered his head down over hers and glared back - giving as good as he got. The green of his optics reflected back at him from her pale face.

"I love you too Sweetheart," he whispered to her.

They had lashed her to Magnus' carrier section, but Rodimus and Elita were sitting on her for good measure. Speed was more of a priority than stealth at the moment since they could hardly sneak around with a wriggling hissing snake-femme. Haste was a relative term on Char. Magnus' bulky truck form could only maneuver so fast through all the debris and rent terrain. Lancer was scouting ahead of them, blasting a path through the mess in as straight a line as she could manage to get them back to Pagan's teleport zone.

Once there, they would retrieve KC's body and Kain would probe the femme's mind. If she hadn't told anyone then he would erase her memories of the human ever being with her and they would let her go. If she had told just one or two people, the Autobots might decide to retrieve and probe them too, but if it was more than that...

Well, then Char would meet the Maelstrom's matter devouring engines.

Rodimus hoped it wouldn't come to that, and not just because the Decepticons made for an easy excuse for lots of his activities. One genocide in a lifetime was more than enough for an Autobot commander... at least until he caught up with the Jabez.

"You could have just let her go Viper!" Rodimus snarled.

From around her gag, Viper laughed.  
x  
x  
x

Earth:

"Back away from First Aid," Springer ordered. They could hear the medic muttering to himself, and were afraid of what he might be revealing.

"Springer! I didn't hurt him! I couldn't hurt him! He's my friend! He's part of my team!" Hotspot protested.

"Not anymore," Arcee said compassionately. She had the presence of mind to both lock the door and use her command codes to shut out Metroplex's omni-present "ears."

"You two are involved aren't you? You know why he can't come home!" Hotspot cried.

"Get away from First Aid," Springer repeated.

Hotspot got angry. "I just wanted to talk to him! I'm trying to save my team! The Protectobots are falling apart Springer, in case you haven't noticed! Defensor is falling apart too! He's...wounded.... or mentally ill maybe. His mind is deteriorating little by little. It gets worse every time we merge! Like he's a building with the foundations washing away a bit at a time. Doesn't anyone even care?"

Springer and Arcee exchanged horrified looks. None of them had realized it had gotten so bad with the Protectobots - if anything they chalked up their fallen performance to being a 'bot and an arm down. Hotspot had relevant concerns, but they couldn't tell him what he needed to know. They suddenly understood what Magnus had felt the day he realized THEY were onto the council's shady dealings. Cold fear, knowing that any misstep on their part could send the assassin Prime after the whole Protectobot team gripped the two of them.

Arcee went over to First Aid and knelt. She gently lifted his chin to force optic contact.

The sight of his number one patient brought First Aid back to the present.

"Arcee! Are you well? Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine First Aid. I'm just here for my daily check-up, but it looks like you could use a break," Arcee said quietly.

First Aid shook his head and stood. He took in the sight of Springer holding Hotspot at gunpoint. It felt like he was in some horrible dream.  
x  
x  
x  
Cybertron:

Perceptor fell forward onto his console. He had been overdue for a recharge when the news of KC's likely death made him forgetful. Now he slid senselessly into stasis lock.  
x  
x  
x

"All I know is I've been the talent manager, messenger boy, and all around gopher for those two ever since that rolling eyesore came home human, and they pay me back by ditching me! Like I've never gone on a rescue mission before!" Jazz ranted.

"You are in no state to rescue anyone," Kup tried to point out.

"Get out of here! You don't understand! It's insulting they left me behind!" Jazz roared at Kup. He threw another object at the older 'Bot, in spite of the old veteran's sly attempts to slide some of the more undamaged treasures out of Jazz's reach with his foot. This time Kup caught the missile. A black and purple lava lamp? Reminded him of Cyclonus. Maybe he should have let it fall.  
x  
x  
x  
Char:

Cyclonus felt like he was going insane. Here he was, powerful Decepticon second-in-command, unable to save himself from one deranged femme. Unable to do more than move a few spare millimeters at a time towards safety.

The eternal drip of vile fluids from Adder's chin was enough to make him want to scream.

He kept his optic on the door. It would close automatically when he was far enough back and its motion would either save or end him.

Another step edge back.

Drip.

The floor let out a faint puff of smoke.

Another step.

Drip.

Sizzle.

Oh Great Cybertron how his chest hurt. And the SMELL!

Another step.

Drip.

There was the faintest whir from the doorway and Cyclonus threw himself down and to the left.

*WHACK WHACK!*

He heard the repeated strikes of Adder's head against the door and the hiss of more corroding metal. Cyclonus lay on the floor, too over-loaded to move, and laughed a bit inside his head.

He was having visions of the floor falling through and Adder dripping herself all the way to the planet's core.

The hysterical laugher erupted then and he lay on the floor in the dark, laughing a wee bit insanely to himself.  
x  
x  
x  
"I love my life," Ultra Magnus sneered. "Always full of adventure."

They were winding their way back with appalling lack of progress.

"Quit bitching and drive," Rodimus barked.

"Are we there yet?"

"Elita!" Rodimus snapped. He glared at her over his shoulder.

She shrugged, "It seemed appropriate."

"We've got about a half-mile to go," Lancer disembodied voice told them from up ahead. "It's not far, but if they see us we're sitting ducks out here."

"I wish we could have just knocked her out," Magnus complained.

Rodimus shook his head. "We need her awake and clear for Kain's probe to be effective."

"Why is it none of you morons can fly?" Lancer asked.

"I dreamt I was a Decepticon triple-changer once," Magnus informed her.

"Thanks for sharing Major General. If we get spotted Galvatron might decide to dig up the robo-smasher and make all of your dreams come true," Rodimus said. To Viper he murmured, "Save your strength. And don't worry, it's not the end of the world...unless you've talked too much that is!"

The reptilian Decepticon had a date with a reptilian telepath - soon.

Continued in Part E


	5. Chapter 5

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn

Author's note: This story is part of a LONG series called Maelstrom. It is strictly Gen. 1 - sorry, but that was all that was out when I started writing back in the late 1980's. It began as a fan-publication so the first chapters are in the form of a comic book! If you have not read the nine original **Maelstrom Comics** and the preceding text stories, I strongly suggest you do. This is a complex universe. They can be found at http// illmatar. deviantart. com (I have put double spaces between the URL here or FF . Net eats the link.) The comics and art which accompanies this series are there.

**Most chapters of this series contain strong language and violence. Rated M for adult themes! Really! Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Critiques adored! This scene contains strong language, violence, and sex. Rated M for adult themes! **

**  
Transformers characters belong to Hasbro. Story and OC characters are mine. Critiques adored!  
**

Maelstrom Chapter 36  
Before the Dawn  
Part E

Continued from Part D

Cybertron:

Kup shook his head at the raging Specialist.

"Do you see yourself? Rodimus may still be a punk sometimes, but he's a good commander, and he'd have to be an circuit-fried idiot to take along a soldier as emotionally involved as you are!"

"I'm no amateur!" Jazz countered, sinking back to the floor. "I've danced this number before! I know how to handle myself on a rescue mission Man!"

Kup's face fell with grief for his friend and he went and sat stiffly down next to Jazz on the floor. He threw a supportive arm over Jazz's trembling shoulders.

"Jazz...if you really thought this was a rescue mission you'd be in the command center waiting for news....not in here trashing your quarters," Kup whispered.

Jazz buried his face in his hands. "Casey..."  
x  
x  
x

Earth:

"I don't understand!" Hotspot cried. "What can be worth destroying my team?

"You listen to me Hotspot," Springer ordered, wishing his voice and authority carried as much weight as Optimus Prime himself. "I'm only gonna say this once and you need to forget I even said it...OK? First Aid isn't part of the Protectobots anymore. You need to quit bothering him about it. He can't come home. He just can't, cause if he does, Defensor is gonna be more than...hurt...Defensor's gonna be history. Got that?"  
x  
x  
x  
Char:

Cyclonus wasn't sure how long it took him to get himself together but once he did he was more anxious to find Viper than ever. He tried to raise her on the comm. Nothing. Maybe she wasn't speaking to him due to his earlier rejection.

So he went looking for her. First he looked in all the places she normally might be - the practice range, the common room, the command center. Asking around got him no answers - just a leer or two. Then he looked in places he thought she SHOULDN'T be but might, given her recent show of ambition....starting with Galvatron's quarters. Then he looked in places she could be that made no real sense at all - like the gun batteries and the roof.

No Viper.

Sighing, he decided it was time to reluctantly ask for Soundwave's help. Cyclonus hated being in debt to the communications specialist. Soundwave always used that to get something back in return - usually something you thought was worth more than the original service. If you refused to pay he would simply ignore you the next time you asked for help - even on a battlefield. Cyclonus always paid.

He turned to head back for the command center and then paused mid-step. Soundwave hadn't been there the last time he went through. In fact, Cyclonus hadn't seen him anywhere on his search at all. It wasn't that big of a base.

Feeling very uneasy, Cyclonus attempted to contact Soundwave, and then every one of the cassettes in turn.

Nothing.

Maybe some kind of mishap had befallen them all.

Right. Two powerful, highly trained Decepticon warriors just trip over something and knock themselves out on the same day, and take all of the cassettes with them.

Sure...that was it.

Cyclonus' normal concern, unlikely as it was, would have been to suspect some kind of enemy action, but given the morning's events....

All he could picture was Viper with Soundwave.

Soundwave with Viper.

Oh...ew....He so didn't need that mental image.

Soundwave was so emotionally neutral it was hard to picture him even responding to an invitation to interface, but maybe...if those strong, writhing coils edged up his leg....

Cyclonus shuddered. He'd always assumed Soundwave's lust had all ended up in Rumble and Frenzy. Maybe they were helping...

That thought conjured images that made Cyclonus want to gouge out his mental optics.

What he knew for sure was things were spiraling out of hand faster than he could manage. It was time to call for back-up. He pulled the nearest alarm and called for Scourge.  
x  
x  
x  
When they reached their destination Rodimus and company found Kain and Pagan already there and waiting.

"Punctual," Pagan said smugly to Rodimus.

They took Viper off Magnus' truck form and forced her to her knees in front of Kain.

Viper's optics widened. KC had had very little contact with the Maelstrom crew but she knew enough to tell Viper she was in trouble. Vile fleshlings! She hated that they made her afraid.

Kain wasted no time. He forced his way brutally into her mind and she could no more resist him than she could Rodimus' equally violating hands on her chest plate.

The Autobot commander gripped her housing and tore her open, revealing KC's capsule within. Taking it into his hands, he treated the egg-shaped pod with reverence - not so her circuits. He simply ripped the pod free with both hands.

Kain didn't permit her to scream about it.

The Drazi telepath stripped her mind of damaging information and reported.

"She told no one. I have erased her memories of KC and anything to do with the council's activities. We will have to explain her injuries to her, so I left her open to any suggestions you might want to implant. Tell her what you want and she will believe you," Kain hissed.

"Excellent," Rodimus said.

"I hear alarms from the base!" Elita cried.

"I can't teleport all of you and KC's pod too!" Pagan said.

"Take KC and Kain, Pagan," Rodimus said. "It's not ideal if they see us Autobots, but we won't have to destroy the planet."

Pagan nodded and teleported out with her sibling and the capsule. Lancer remained cloaked and stood up on a ruined building playing look-out.

"We've got flyers!" she cried.

Rodimus looked down at the groggy Decepticon he was holding up with one hand. She was still on her knees, but he was supporting her. When he let go, she would fall on her face.

He went nose to nose with her again and spoke loud and slow to make sure she absorbed what he was saying.

"I got back what you stole from me, Viper!"

"You...took... back," she repeated vaguely.

"That's right! Next time stay out of restricted areas you stupid Con," Rodimus said.

"I hate you," she told him.

"I know," he answered. "I like it better that way." He planted a kiss on her forehead.

"We've been spotted!" Magnus reported. Rodimus let Viper fall, and oriented his weapon. At the super-sonic speeds Cyc and the Sweeps could move it only took them seconds to cover the ten miles it had taken the Autobots almost an hour to cross.

Cyclonus saw Rodimus dropping Viper like so much refuse and transformed.

"YOU!" he cried in shock (and a sort of sick relief.)

"YOU!" Rodimus answered in flawless imitation. "Oh, wait. You live here. My mistake!"

"Why are you here?" Cyclonus demanded.

"We're selling Girl Scout Cookies," Ultra Magnus answered. "Wanna buy some Oreos?"

Great Cybertron! Was that a joke? Cyclonus thought. Finding he wasn't able to deal with a joking Ultra Magnus, Cyclonus turned back to Rodimus. Prime's nasty, green (?) optics were easier to deal with since they were glaring. Elita he couldn't even look at - her focused stare reminded him too much of Adder.

Lancer surveyed all of this from her invisible perch and knew her mate was stalling for time until Pagan was rested enough to retrieve all of them - Elita in particular.

I love how you guys stand around talking before a fight, the mutant sent sarcastically to her mate.

Hush. It's tradition, Rodimus sent back at her. To Cyclonus he returned with, "Just getting some of my stuff back from your little pet snaky  
Cyc."

"What did she do? Steal something from your quarters when you were wrapped up in her coils?" Cyclonus sneered.

Rodimus looked blank for about half a second, "Sure. Go with that," he finally answered with a leer.

Lancer worked really hard on not laughing and started draining Con weapons. Magnus and Elita both looked resigned.

In the mean time Scourge was muttering into his com, calling for back-up without authorization.

"Scourge...what are you doing?" Cyclonus asked. "There are only three of them!"

It was too late though...news there were Autobots on Char brought most of the remaining personnel surging out of the base...including Galvatron.

Cyclonus hung his head. Now no matter what happened Galvatron would be stirred up and dangerous for the next few days at least.

The three Autobots looked at each other, shrugged...and scattered into the ruins.  
x  
x  
x  
Cybertron:

Optimus finally started getting some offers of real help from Earth. Everyone from major manufacturers to master educators submitted proposals to help the Autobots as best they could. Many of them were completely pro-bono, others asked for help with expenses only. Optimus couldn't wait for Rodimus' team to get back - he needed help sorting through it all. The trade partners were less generous, but at least they weren't hawking goods that were clearly unsuitable, and most of their prices had reduced by more than half.

Of course there were still lots of opinions calling for his head since "insulting" the people of Earth, but at least most of the commentary was directed at the future of the "next generation", and the gossip segments were getting air time again.

Optimus shook his head and put his feet up on his desk. Rodimus sure did get around. It was amazing how much these networks got away with just by putting "alleged" in front of words like "affair" and "over-energized assault"...or was it that Rodi-rumors were somehow exempt from fact checking? Op supposed he'd better memorize some of this slander. Rodi would want to know what he'd been up to while he was gone.  
x  
x  
x  
Firm hands pulled Perceptor off his work-station and carried him to the recharge unit in his adjoining quarters.

The scientist had been approaching fatal shut-down, but he didn't need medical care, just power. Jazz and Kup looked at each other. Kup's choice to check on Jazz first had nearly been fatal for Perceptor.

"Kup - go help Optimus. I'm sure he needs it. I'll sit here with Mr. Wizard until he comes around," Jazz whispered.

Kup nodded. "We have to help each other Jazz. We have to put this council back together. You know they didn't mean to hurt you...we can't let this sort of thing drive us apart."  
x  
x  
x  
Earth:

"I don't understand!" Hotspot repeated. "What can be worth destroying the Protectobots?"

"Hotspot...please!" First Aid cried desperately. "Please stop!" There was real terror in his voice now.

Hotspot looked from his brother to Springer's grim face and suddenly understood that Springer literally meant it would be the end of Defensor if this went any further. More than that though, he took in First Aid's body-language. The medic was letting Arcee support him and shield him - from Hotspot. Whatever this was, the medic believed in what they were doing. He was letting Arcee and Springer help him because he was where he believed he was needed most.

Even more than his brothers needed him.

Something defiant died in Hotspot's heart. He trusted First Aid's judgement...he had to. In a way it was his own. That meant he had to support this decision, even if it was breaking his heart.

"First Aid! I'm sorry. I'll leave, but please...if you need us.... If we can help you in any way...we won't bother you. Don't forget us! Don't be afraid to ask us! Please First Aid! If you need us...don't be afraid to come home!" Hotspot backed away slowly, and was satisfied when he saw First Aid nod once, and Arcee embrace him.

Springer lowered his weapon. "I'll talk to Optimus, Hotspot. I don't think anyone realized you guys were in so much trouble. We'll see...what we can do to make it easier."

Hotspot nodded. "No one noticed, but we kept it to ourselves...and Defensor wouldn't think to ask." The Protectobot leader transformed and fled.  
x  
x  
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Char:

Things got out of hand really fast once the Autobots split up.

Rodimus did an impressive handspring to land behind some cover and shoot Scourge in the face as he went. Elita seemed to disappear until she showed up at the top of a transmissions tower and landed on Sweep 3 (or was it 4?) He flew around erratically trying to dislodge her but she simply pummeled him until his vehicle mode could no longer keep to the air. Ultra Magnus did what he did best. He blasted big holes in things from a distance and punched big dents in things that were close. He seemed to have a thing for Sweeps and accounted for three of them in the first few minutes. One he grabbed by the arm, threw to the ground and punched in the face, throat, shoulder, and hip joint before the Sweep even knew who had him. All of the joints he stuck at were dislocated, shorted, and needed to be replaced the following day.

Where had they learned to move like that? Magnus had always been a fearsome opponent but there was a precision to his strikes that spoke of new training...and a new willingness to cause major injury. Cyclonus was paralyzed in shock.

By this time, Galvatron, the Predicons, and the Stunticons had arrived as well, but they were mostly useful for getting in each other's way.

Cyclonus overcame his paralysis and tried to shoot at Prime but his weapon turned out to be nicely out of charge. He knew he'd charged it. He always charged it! What a time for a malfunction! And yet...no one on his side could seem to get their weapon to work. Even Galvatron tried blasting Magnus with his plasma cannon in vain.

How were these wretched Autobots pulling that off?

Cyclonus watched in consternation as Galvatron threw his useless cannon at Magnus, who ducked and obligingly stepped on it. Then for some reason the Decepticon commander fell out of the sky and reacted as though he were being hit by an unseen foe. He was out before he hit the ground. Deadend was next to suffer poltergeist attention. Whatever it was, it left huge rends in his housing.

Razorclaw took one look at Rodimus and saw red. In a blind, primordial fury, the Predicon charged at the 'Bot who'd nearly killed him almost a decade ago and leapt.

"You never learn," Rodimus snarled. He caught the pouncing Decepticon by the throat and chest with stiff fingers. His strength and the weight of the falling Con served to punch through the metal of Razorclaw's torso like it was tin-foil, rather than extra-reinforced armor. The rest of the Predicons shrieked in terror and rushed their fallen leader back to base. Wildrider went after Rodimus in car-form, but the young Prime somehow timed a step up onto the Stunticon's hood that put the next step through the windshield and onto the steering column, cracking it clean off. Rodimus then flipped up and out of the screaming Decepticon's weaving vehicle mode and landed neatly on his feet. Wildrider landed less than neatly in the remains of a nearby building... which fell on him... and Breakdown.

Elita took down Motormaster. Cyclonus wasn't sure how, but she rode the larger robot to the ground with both of her heels planted in his face. The Stunticon leader lost both optics and suffered a dislocate jaw-component. (This actually earned some points for Elita among the Cons for the next few days. Motormaster had to have his mouth welded shut until they could fabricate his new jaw. It took over a week - no one was in a hurry.) The Decepticon second wondered distractedly if this event would make a firmer...impression on Motormaster's opinion of femmes.

Suddenly Rodimus looked up and shouted, "Guys! Here! Now!"

All three Autobots converged on one spot. There was a huge, multi-spectrumed flash that blinded Cyclonus' optics on every wavelength. When he could finally see again they were...

They were gone.

Leaving him with useless weapons, useless troops, a soon-to-be-enraged unconscious leader, and a disoriented femme with her chest torn open.

Cyclonus threw his blaster to the ground.

"I hate Autobots," he said.  
x  
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x

Maelstrom:

KC's capsule had been placed in yet another empty cargo-hold/shuttle bay on the Maelstrom.

Rodimus and Lancer stood there with it. Otherwise they were alone.

Rodi knew Jazz would never forgive him, but he had decided to "bury" KC in space. If they brought her home Jazz would insist on seeing the body. Perceptor would too, and Rodimus felt they were better off without having KC's memory overwritten by the way she died.

No one else need to see this.

Rodimus had to look though. He and Lancer bore the guilt of this child's death together. He had chosen the mission. She had trained KC for it.

He opened the capsule. His set expression didn't change at all, but he morphed human to hold his slightly tearful mate's hand.

KC's face had been eaten away by Viper's acidic venom. The cavity went almost all the way through the back of her skull. The flesh of her body was desiccated and skeletal. Viper had tried to reduce the odor by heating up her internal temperature to dry the body out with only marginal success. Withered like a raisin, the corpse still retained some moisture and was rotting. Oddly, and perhaps most disturbingly, the short pony-tail KC had taken to wearing was undisturbed.

Rodimus frowned to himself, regretting only that Vector Sigma was already destroyed and could not be destroyed again. Viper's venom was it's own sort of message to Rodimus - it was a far more potent form of the same substance that Eclipse had used on Arcee. A final message of loathing from creator to rebel child. One last message of hate and violence delivered to scar Rodi's soul...and Sigma knew him. It would scar his soul to think that this girl had been killed just to spite him.

He morphed back to robot form and watched Lancer place a small timed explosive in the pod. He replaced the lid.

There would be no ceremony, no speeches or eulogy. Just him, carrying his young friend's remains to the nearest shuttle air lock. He set her down gently, wondering vaguely why he bothered, stepped back, and closed the lock.

He opened the door to the void outside and watched the vacuum pull KC away.  
x  
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x  
On the bridge to the ship, everyone but Elita and Claudia had gathered on their own. Even Magnus stood there at attention, his arms folded over his chest.

Elita wouldn't fit through the hallways, so she watched out one of the windows in her cargo hold, although she had to lean down at an uncomfortable angle to see out. Claudia stayed with Edana and the baby, trying her best to help the older child keep her shields steady.

Edana did her best, but she still sobbed with grief she didn't understand and had no name for.

All those watching saw the small metallic egg tumbling round and round outside the ship. Then there was a brilliant flash, and the pod and all its contents were vaporized.

Elita sighed sadly, and sat back against the wall, looking at the ceiling.

In the hold, Lancer and Rodimus just held each other, neither speaking nor sending.

On the bridge, Spike frowned. "There goes another child lost to this mad war," he said bitterly.

"She got a better death than many," Shellshock answered him. "And more, she was trying to make a difference. She mattered."

"Everyone matters," Spike said.

"I used to believe that," Shellshock said. His voice was deep, deeper than Optimus'. Deeper than Unicron's. "I don't anymore. I believe if you want to matter you have to work on it. Some people are just a waste of space. Some are worse than nothing. KC wasn't a waste. She mattered."

"Oh my God!" Talon whispered to Robert. "He's not just talking! He's a fucking philosopher!"

"So, off to Cybertron then?" Robert asked Ultra Magnus, refusing to respond to Talon.

Magnus shrugged and nodded.

"Take us home," he said.


End file.
